Jacksonville Jaguars Claim Defensive End Jason Babin Off Of Waivers

Many people were shocked on Tuesday when the Philadelphia Eagles released defensive end Jason Babin the year after he recorded 18 sacks last season.

So it should come as little surprise that the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are tied for the lowest amount of sacks in the NFL this year, claimed him on Wednesday off of waivers.

By his standards, Babin was having a down year with only 5.5 sacks, but that total would make him the runaway sacks leader on the Jaguars. The Eagles cited their desire to get their younger defensive lineman more playing time as the reason they released Babin, but one has to wonder if there were other unknown reasons why they decided to cut ties with a proven pass rusher.

While Babin certainly has a reputation as a good pass rusher, he is not nearly as effective against the run. Given that, his role on the Jaguars defense for the remainder of the season may be limited to obvious pass rushing situations.

For claiming Babin off of waivers, the Jaguars will owe him the balance of the $1.7 million he is owed for the rest of this season. They also inherit the remained of the five-year, $28 million deal he signed prior to the 2011 season, which means the Jaguars will have him under contract for the next three seasons if they choose to keep him.

The reports are that eight teams filed a waiver claim on Babin, but the Jaguars were awarded him because their poor record gave them the highest priority of the teams who tried to claim him.

The Jaguars placed defensive tackle D’Anthony Smith (concussion) on the injured reserve to make room for Babin.